This stroller has a cute name, but what about function?
Urbini products come with fun names to go with their cute style. But when it comes to the Urbini Reversi stroller, the name might just be one of the best parts. While this stroller is sturdy and does feature two different modes, plus the ability to become a travel system, it just isn’t as user-friendly as it could be. There are some major design flaws, and for stroller at this price point, I would expect a lot more. My recommendation is to keep looking for a better stroller (like the Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience stroller).
Three Stages in One
Reversi is more than just a cute name. It signifies the fact that you can reverse the child seat to face both forward and backward. So let’s take a look at those two modes, plus the travel system mode.
Travel System
This stroller can become a travel system using the car seat adapter method. This particular stroller is only compatible with the Sonti infant car seat. You do have to buy the adapting kit, which can be purchased from the manufacturer. This adapter kit uses the tower method of attaching the car seat to the stroller. That basically means that there are two plastic adapter parts that go on the frame at the joints where the seat would normally be attached. So instead of attaching a seat, you simply attach an adapter on each side and you can then click the Sonti car seat in. I personally feel that there are more sturdy, safe ways to click in a car seat, but it does work to turn this stroller into a travel system if you prefer to use it that way.
If it’s a travel system you want, then there are better ones out there than the Urbini Reversi and Sonti travel system. Read our Best Travel System article to find the best infant travel systems for you.
Parent Facing Stroller
The biggest perk of this stroller is that it can be forward facing or parent facing. Many parents like to have their child face them, especially for that first year. It just makes them feel closer to their baby. Face to face interaction is important for baby’s development, and it makes baby feel happier and more connected to mom or dad.
Baby can be rear facing, or shall I say parent facing, in this seat until they reach 35 pounds. Then, for whatever reason, they’ll have to turn around until they reach the 50 pound overall weight limit for the stroller. I think that has something to do with the way that the seat attaches when rear facing.
Forward Facing Stroller
The third mode of the Reversi stroller is a traditional stroller mode. In this mode, the stroller seat faces forward just like any other lightweight umbrella stroller on the market. Kiddos can stay in this position until they reach 50 pounds.
The manufacturer and others claim that you can fit a child up to 4 year old in this seat. I beg to differ. My four-year-old would not fit in this stroller. I feel like he would just be way too big, and he weighs about 47 lbs. So, if you have a smaller and lighter child, you might be able to get use out of the seat until they hit about 3. Beyond that, you’re going to need to look for a sturdier stroller or just make your big kid walk.
Switching Modes
I kind of touched on it when I talked about turning the Reversi into a travel system, but it’s pretty easy to click the seat from forward facing to rear facing. All you have to do is hold down some release levers on each side of the car seat at the joint where it attaches to the frame of the stroller. You just click the seat out, turn it around, and click it in. It’s really easy to do, and you hear a loud audible click when it’s in place, so that you know it’s safe. This portion of the stroller is very user-friendly and easy, even for someone like me, who has absolutely no hand strength.
Design and Functionality
The stroller has a very cute and modern design. It’s minimalistic and lightweight. But does it have functionality? Perhaps not.
Sturdy Frame
The stroller is made from a lightweight metal. It feels very solid and sturdy. In fact, it’s my favorite part about this seat. It’s not plastic or easily-bended, flimsy metal like some other lightweight umbrella strollers. And, it only weighs about 22 pounds with the seat attached.
Not-So-Easy Folding
Folding the stroller is quite a task. For starters, you have to make sure that the seat is attached in the forward facing position, and that it isn’t reclined at all. That could be a pain if you’ve been riding parent facing and you just want to fold it for a little while. Then, once you have it ready to fold, it is difficult to fold. You have to push up on a foot lever at the bottom while squeezing two sliding levers on each stroller handle. Then the bottom kind of pops up and folds and you push down on the stroller until it is completely folded.
Once folded, it does stand on its own, which makes it nice for traveling. If you have to fold it up very quickly to get on a bus or something, you can fold it, stand it next to you, and then unfold it when you’re ready to keep going. So, while it does fold up small and compact and it does stand on its own, you do have to have free hands and good coordination to get it folded.
Nice Wheels, Bad Brakes
The wheels of this car seat are very sturdy. They are solid plastic and they’re a decent size for this type of stroller. Both front wheels have a swivel feature, which makes it a lot easier to move around.
It does have a braking system, but it’s an individual braking system. You have to activate the foot brake for each of the back wheels. This can either be a good thing or a bad thing. It’s nice to be able to just click down the foot brake on one of the wheels when you’re making a quick stop. But if you’re going to be stopped for a while, or you have a very wiggly toddler in the stroller, you have to put on both the brakes and it is frustrating. Yet again, for a stroller this price, it would be nice to have a single foot bar braking system.
So-So Storage
The stroller features a large mesh storage basket on the underside. The size of this thing is wonderful! It is so spacious, which is surprising for a lightweight umbrella stroller. However, this is when the functionality part really comes into play. You can’t put anything in this basket!
If you look carefully at the pictures of the stroller, you can see that the X bars on the frame of the stroller itself completely block it. Now there is an access point with a zipper, but that makes it so difficult to get in and out. Plus, then you’re limited to items that you can fit in and out through the zippered access section. That pretty much rules out any large diaper bags or things like that, which could totally fit if those bars weren’t in the way!
This is probably the most frustrating feature of this car seat. Take a look at any other retailer, and you’ll see that this is the number one complaint with this car stroller, and for good reason.
There aren’t really any other storage features to speak of. Okay, so there is a parent cup holder that attaches to the handlebar. But, I almost don’t even want to count this as storage, because it’s so flimsy and it’s got an open cup design. You can’t really put anything of value in there, save for a plastic water bottle.
When I pay more than $50 for a stroller, I do expect for there to be some kind of storage. So since the basket underneath isn’t usable, and the cup holder isn’t great either, this stroller scores an F in the storage area.
Child Comfort
Beyond the design and functionality, there were a few things that Urbini added simply for the comfort of the child in the stroller.
- Padded safety harness. There’s a 5 point safety harness that’s easy to buckle and comes with covers for the shoulder part of the strap. These covers aren’t that nice, but they’re enough to keep the thick nylon straps from irritating your child’s neck and shoulders.
- Reclining seat. You can easily recline the seat with one hand into a few different positions. All you have to do is squeeze a little handle/lever on the side, and you can recline the seat. You can even recline the seat fully flat, which is nice for newborns or smaller babies.
- Large canopy. This thing is pretty big on its own, but then when you pull out the extender portion, it really is huge. I also like that the extender portion comes down in front of your child instead of just across the top of their head. Although it is a bit bigger and takes up some extra space, it’s totally worth it because it will completely shield your kid from the sun, and will also come in handy if it begins to rain. The canopy material is a bit thin, so try not to set stuff on top of the canopy or let the canopy get caught on anything, because it will tear easily.
Customer Reviews
- 4.6 stars, 69 reviews- Walmart
- 4 stars, 770 reviews- Jet
Pros
- 3 different modes: forward facing, parent facing, and travel system
- Easy to transition
- Sturdy frame and good wheels
- Folds compact and stands alone
- Reclining seat
- Large canopy
Cons
- Works with only 1 car seat (sold separately)
- Unable to really use mesh storage basket
- Complicated folding mechanism
- No real storage
- Inconvenient braking system
Mom Recommendation
The Urbini Reversi Stroller is cute and it does have some great features. It’s nice that it can be a forward facing stroller, like all the other lightweight umbrella strollers out there, or it can be a parent facing umbrella stroller. You can also make it into a travel system, using the plastic adapters purchased separately and the Sonti car seat. However, if you’re looking just for a travel system, look elsewhere. Buying the pieces separately makes this an expensive travel system, and one that doesn’t work that great.
The design of the Urbini Reversi Stroller is cute, but the functionality just isn’t there. You can’t access the large mesh storage basket. There’s essentially no storage for you or your kid. You have to do two separate foot brakes to get the stroller to stay in place. The seat has to be positioned forward and reclined fully upright in order to be able to fold the seat. I do love the large canopy, and the very sturdy and lightweight design of the frame. But beyond that, I feel like I could better spend my money elsewhere. For this price point, there are just too many big disappointments with this stroller. I would recommend looking at a different stroller.
